Friday, September 2, 2016

Help protect your child against HPV

MSD has been a global health care leader working to help the
world be well with a tradename of Merck
& Co., Inc. Through their prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic
therapies, and animal health products, we work with customers and operate in
more than 140 countries to deliver innovative health solutions. Also their commitment
is to increase access to healthcare through far-reaching policies, programs and
partnerships. Last August 30, 2016, MSD held an event to commemorate adolescent
immunization month as well as mark 10 years of HPV prevention in the
Philippines. In his opening remarks, Dr. Cesar Recto II, Medical Director of
MSD in the Philippines pointed out that they have tirelessly worked with
healthcare providers, the Department of Health, medical societies, cancer
support groups, as well as media, and other civic organizations to increase
awareness about HPV.

In the Philippines, about 2,800 women die of cervical cancer
each year. That translates to roughly 7 women dying every day from cervical
cancer. Although awareness on HPV as a cause of cervical cancer has grown over
the last decade, there is still a lack of understanding of other HPV-related
diseases and how these can affect adolescent Filipinos. It is critical to
continue to spread education in the country on the perils of HPV and the
importance of vaccination.

Dr. May Montellano and Dr. Cecilia Ladines-Llave

The event featured presentations from experts: Dr. Cecilia
Ladines-Llave, a practicing Gynecologic Oncologist at the Department of
Obstetrics and Gynecology, UP PGH, former chief of the Gynecologic Oncology
Unit of the Asian Hospital and Medical Center and Asian Cancer Institute, and
chair of Asian Gynecology and Oncology Group (AGOG) and Dr. May Montellano,
President of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination and a pediatric
infectious disease specialist. Who

explained key facts
about HPV including prevalence in the country, complications, and prevention.

HPV (human papillomavirus) is a virus that can affect both
females and males. It is the most common viral infection of the human
reproductive tract. There are more than 100 types of HPV and approximately 40
types can affect the genital area, 15 to 20 of those are high-risk types that
can cause cancers, while the other 10 to 15 other types are responsible for
benign HPV-related diseases including genital warts. “Besides various cancers, HPV can also cause genital warts.
Studies show that if a person has had genital warts, they will have an
increased risk for HPV-related cancers as they grow older,” explained Dr.
Cecilia Ladines-Llave.

Dr. Llave further clarified that while HPV is widely known
to cause cervical cancer among females, there are certain types of HPV that can
cause head, neck, anal, and penile cancers among males as well. Dr. Llave stressed
that it is important for parents to consult their doctors on how to best
protect their adolescent children, both females and males, against HPV diseases
before they are even exposed to them.

Dr. May Montellano discussed the Protecting against
HPV-related diseases

The primary prevention for HPV is HPV vaccination. Bivalent
and quadrivalent HPV vaccines are available in the Philippines. The quadrivalent
HPV vaccine helps provide protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18. It
has undergone efficacy and safety trials similar to those given to other
routine adolescent vaccinations. It can be administered to children as young as
9 years old.

HPV vaccination works best in children from the age of 9
because pre-teens have a higher immune response to the vaccine versus older
individuals. Despite the possibility that they won’t be exposed to HPV at such
a young age, it is already recommended that HPV vaccination be administered as
the risk of exposure increases rapidly.

“We don’t wait until exposure occurs to give any other
routinely recommended vaccine,” explained Dr. May Montellano. “We want children
to be protected long before they are even at risk of exposure to HPV. HPV often
has no visible signs or symptoms, so as a parent, you will not know if your
child is exposed to it. There’s no way to predict who will or who won’t clear
the virus. It is important that you understand how HPV-related diseases can
affect your daughters and sons.”

Dr. Beaver Tamesis

Dr. Beaver Tamesis, Managing Director of MSD in the
Philippines, stressed that with the likely underestimated prevalence of HPV in
the Philippines, it is imperative that more Filipinos are informed of the
benefits that vaccination can offer when it comes to protecting against HPV-
related illnesses and cancers.